March 17, 2018, 8:45 am – 12:10 pm

Workshop: Reading, Writing, and Relevancy in the ELA Classroom

Join the New York City Writing Project for a workshop on Saturday, March 17, 2018 to explore approaches for the teaching of reading and writing in the ELA classroom. The workshop asks the questions: What happens when we make relevancy a centerpiece for the ELA classroom? We honor student choice and use texts, materials, and assignments that students think are important. What are the specific strategies and tools of the trade teachers use to make this happen?

Talking Back to Tough Texts in Tough Times – Session I

What happens when you bring a tough text and talk about tough subjects in class? Teachers used very specific poetry, Ta-Nehesi Coates’ Between the World and Me, and some additional works of fiction as a springboard to read, write and talk about race, violence, and our visions of the present and for the future of America. This session will explore interactive, multi-genre gallery walks and various other key reading, writing, and revision strategies and the resulting student work. Participants will read, write, and share ideas together.

Facilitated by Milosh Marinovich who teaches ELA at Gotham Collaborative High School in the Bronx and JoAnna Bueckert-Chan who works as a NYCWP Teaching Consultant at various sites.

Responding to Literature, both Classic and Contemporary, with Voice and Choice – Session II

This session will explore various ways to consider and incorporate student choice by examining our ideas around text selection, author selection, assignment design, non-linear drafting, and opening-up and reconsidering the ways we read the classics. We will write, read, discuss student work samples and share our ideas together.

Facilitated by Annie Thoms who teaches ELA at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan and JoAnna Bueckert-Chan who works as a NYCWP Teaching Consultant at various sites.